The Phoenix Suns received some good news before the weekend. Their chances of ending their five-game losing streak are looking brighter with both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal participating in a full practice on Sunday.
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Tyus Jones, who was brought in this off-season to set the table for Phoenix’s superstars, is particularly excited by their return from injury.
“Not having, you know, one of them is a big loss but not having both of them was huge. We just weren’t playing our best ball and that happens throughout the year. Now we’re excited to get both of them back soon and look to kind of reset,” the 28-year-old said after practice.
"Not having one of them is a big loss, not having both of them was huge. We just weren't playing our best ball and that happens throughout the year. Now we're excited to get both of them back." Tyus Jones
Story below on Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal working back from injury. #Suns https://t.co/ihVNbhs2WB pic.twitter.com/zbKAqzLqky
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 25, 2024
Durant and Beal have both missed the majority of this month due to left calf strain injuries. But with the high-scoring superstars back in practice over the weekend, the Suns roster might be back to full strength sooner than later.
Without KD in the lineup, Devin Booker and Co. were only able to snag one win in seven games, sliding from the top of the Western Conference all the way to the eighth seed.
They were clearly missing Durant’s length and IQ on defense, while naturally struggling to make up for the 27 points he gave them every night on incredible efficiency.
However, with the injured stars rehabbing well, Jones and Booker can soon let go of the load on their back and begin their climb back to the top of the West.
The Suns can’t create advantages without Durant and Beal
With Booker as the only remaining star in the lineup, the Phoenix Suns’ offense looked rattled over the past few weeks. The longest-tenured Suns player had some explosive performances, including a 40-point outing against the Minnesota Timberwolves. But it wasn’t enough to carry the team to a win.
After all, much of Mike Budenholzer’s offense has been predicated on leveraging the gravity of its three superstars to create advantages for them to exploit.
“We know guys are going to double KD, Book, Brad. We’ve just got to be aggressive off of it,” back-up point guard Monte Morris reflected on how Beal and Durant’s return can help the role players return to their previous effectiveness.
At the same time, it’s important to note that the stars’ absences have opened up some minutes for rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, who will benefit from the additional reps when they return to their bench roles.
With a five-day break between the Suns’ previous game against New York and their next matchup versus the Lakers, fans are optimistic that at least one of their stars will be able to return to the lineup on Tuesday. Though the official status of the stars hasn’t been updated, Budenholzer will likely keep them at ‘questionable’ or ‘probable’ ahead of the home game against LA.
